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“Not a total one,” Stassi began. “Just a partial one.” His eyes widened, and she started to laugh. His mouth broke into a grin. “Just kidding, I swear.”

“Damn, you got me. I must admit.” He nodded. “That was a good one.” That broke the ice and relieved any tension that Stassi had felt minutes ago.

When they were halfway into their lunch, though, he got up and motioned with his head. “What?” Stassi asked. “Lunch is over already? I feel like we just got here.”

He laughed. “No, come with me. I noticed that there’s a table that’s been watching us, or rather, you. Thinking they want us to join them.”

Stassi frowned. “Who?” She turned and saw that Sage was looking in their direction. The tension instantly returned. “I don’t know, Marcus. Not sure they really want us to interrupt. They look awfully cozy, like maybe they want to be alone.”

He laughed. “Why would they want to be alone?”

Stassi shrugged. “I don’t know. Are they a couple or something?” His face turned red, and he started laughing, shaking his head, and sputtering out his words. “They’re not a couple?”

“No, Sage is very much single, and Lena, well, pretty sure she’s into guys.” He laughed again and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the table. He motioned for Stassi to sit down next to Sage, who scooted away to give her enough room. Stassi sat down but instantly knew how close to one another they were. Her leg had very little room, brushing up against Sage. Sage moved just a bit more but still didn’t provide the ample room that Stassi needed to breathe, but as Stassi settled in, she relaxed. Not minding the close proximity. “You guys are not going to believe what Stassi just said to me.”

Stassi’s eyes widened. This was going to go painfully wrong. Now Marcus was going to rat her out that she thought they were a couple, and she would never make any friends there. She shook her head when he looked in her direction, but it went unnoticed.

“What’s that?” Lena asked. Lena shot Stassi a look, and Stassi’s cheeks burned. Lena had no sense of humor. She could just sense that. She considered making an excuse that she had to leave or get back to work early, anything that could get her out of there.

“She told me that I wasn’t a total ass, just a partial one.” Marcus started laughing, and the air rushed out of Stassi.

Next to her, Sage laughed. “Well, she isn’t wrong.”

Marcus glanced at Stassi and gave her a wink, and from that moment, she knew she had made one friendship, but the woman next to her would barely look in her direction. It even felt like she had shifted a little further away. If she wasn’t in a relationship with Lena, then maybe there was another reason she would stay away from Stassi. Stassi shrugged. She’d have to accept that.

Lena glared at her from across the table, making Stassi shift in her seat. Something was clearly bothering Lena. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, and she retrieved it and saw a message from Ariel.

Ariel

Call me when you can. Have a few minutes to chat if you’re free.

“Something more intriguing than lunch?” Lena asked.

Stassi looked up. “No but have to get back to work early.” She got up from the table and glanced between the other three. “See you all around.” She hurried away from the table, relieved that she could escape. She was saved by the bell with Ariel’s text. She fell back against the wall and waited for her to answer.

“That was fast.”

“Well, you have no idea how much I needed your message. But I don’t wanna talk about it. Tell me about your day.”

Lena started talking about her day on the job, and Stassi was glad to have the reprieve and put the awkward lunch behind her.

Sage

Sage stepped out of the room as Stassi whizzed past her, a pile of charts in her arms. Just when she thought she could see Stassi in a new light, she was quickly thrown a curveball. For starters, if what Lena had heard was true, then she shuddered with disgust. If someone wanted to sleep around, then fine, but why stoop as long as that? Stassi came out of the file room and went back to her desk, not even turning and looking in Sage’s direction.

It was true that first impressions said that Stassi was a socialite that didn’t know how to lower herself to the standards of the hospital. And then there was a change. The over-the-top jewelry and over-the-top makeup… it had all vanished. And Stassi seemed to apply herself in ways that made her a great employee. She glanced at her watch and went to the computer. She had a new patient coming in for their first appointment. It was going to be a tough case. A stroke at the age of sixteen. It would bring all sorts of problems to Sage and her duties.

Sage headed up to the front desk and grabbed the chart. Stassi turned to her, her eyes wide. “Do you have something to ask?” Sage asked. Her words came out strained, and she clamped down on her lower lip. “You just look like you have something on your mind.”

Stassi turned to the waiting room and then motioned for Sage to follow her. It seemed important, so Sage followed her to the corner where Stassi turned around. “She’s so young,” she said.

Sage nodded. “Strokes don’t much care how old you are. It’s true that we like to think that the younger generation can be strong enough to ward off the disability, but sadly that just isn’t the case.” Sage tilted her head. “Are you alright?”

Stassi shrugged, then glanced over her shoulder. Sage saw the genuine concern in Stassi’s gaze. It was refreshing. Sage reached out and touched her shoulder. “This job can take a toll on even the strongest of people. It’s not easy for me either.”

Stassi glanced back and gave a slight nod. “I better let you get to it, then.”

“You leave shortly, don’t you?” Sage asked, following Stassi back to the front desk. Stassi gave a slight now. “Then I’ll be seeing you around. “Journey,” she called out. That was an interesting name, especially with the journey that she was going to have to be on to her road to recovery. A woman pushed her into a wheelchair, moving slowly, and Sage just waited for them to approach. “The name is Sage,” she began. She reached out her hand, and Journey was slow to grasp onto it. She moved at her speed and took hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”